Just Unusual
by Agrajag
Summary: Bruce is feeling lonely and finds comfort in Clint. I'm terrible at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

Bruce wasn't happy at all.

Two days he had been here and he already felt like an outcast. Not that he had expected any differently, of course, but it still frustrated him.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had only brought him in because they thought the Other Guy would be useful, he was sure of it.

He had been brought to his laboratory – well, cell would be a more apt term, it had all the latest gadgets and it had its own living quarters, but had a curious reinforced titanium structure.

He felt very isolated.

His only source of human contact was the occasional meeting with Fury and the rest of the odd people that had probably been gathered in the same way he had, and the more frequent visit from various officers, making sure he was "safe".

Bruce sat sadly at his workbench looking over some data on the effect of gamma radiation in relation to atomic orbitals when the door behind him slid open.

_Probably just one of the officers_, Bruce thought. He was too depressed to care, so he just kept focussing on his work.

The officer stayed for a while, which wasn't unusual to Bruce, sometimes they liked to watch him, see if he acted different because of his "problem". But they usually got bored after about 5 minutes, realising that the green guy was the only interesting part about him.

His mouth was starting to feel dry, so he sat up to go to his kitchen.

He finally saw the officer as he turned round.

He had seen him at the meetings with Fury, he was one of the people in their little group. His name was Cliff or something like that.

The door to the kitchen was at the other side of the room, so as Bruce walked over, he could feel the man's eyes on him.

He felt it was rude not to ask him if he wanted anything.

"I'm going to get a drink of water, would you, uh, like anything?" asked Bruce.

He seemed rather surprised to be asked this question.

"No, but thank you." he replied.

Bruce nodded and continued to the kitchen.

"Um, wait..." started the man.

Bruce turned to look at him. The officer looked apprehensive.

"Do you, uh, have any scotch or anything like that? It's been a long day." he whispered.

Bruce smiled weakly.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right back."

When he returned, the man was still in the same spot. Bruce walked over.

"Here you are, C-Cli-Cliff?"

The man smiled and took the glass.

"It's Clint, Clint Barton, and thanks." he said warmly.

"Clint, right, okay." Bruce cursed internally. "So why are you in here with me anyway?"

Clint looked at Bruce.

"There's a mission going on right now that's using nearly half of our work force, so I'm keeping guard here." Clint said nonchalantly.

Bruce thought for a moment.

"Wouldn't you be better on this mission than being here? Don't you have a special skill, shooting or something?" he asked.

"Archery," Clint corrected. "But this specific mission doesn't need my area of expertise shall we say." he said.

"And what's the mission?" asked Bruce, curious.

"C'mon Mr. Banner, you know I can't tell you that."

Bruce nodded and went back to the workbench, sat down, and started looking over his notes again.

Clint stood awkwardly, as it's very difficult to guard – or at least look like a guard – whilst holding a glass of scotch.

Bruce didn't say anything else and was absorbed back into his work, he was still depressed.

Clint sipped his scotch slowly, it was nice and smooth.

He decided to sit down on the ground, back against the wall, he was very tired.

He took another sip.

The area was on lockdown while the mission was going on; it had to be on lockdown because legally there were not enough officers there to go on patrol.

The real reason he was here was for some company, him and Bruce were the only people on the whole floor, and Bruce was oblivious to this as he never left his lab.

Banner hadn't been exceptional company, but it was company nonetheless and Clint was grateful.

He took another sip and rested the back of his head on the wall.

He really was tired, he had been working for 32 solid hours and counting without sleep.

He took another sip.

_I'll just close my eyes for a moment, the parameter is secure, anyway._ Clint thought.

He finished the scotch, placed his glass next to him on the floor and closed his eyes.

Two hours later, Bruce looked up from his work. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms. He'd been scribbling notes and whispering incoherently to himself for the last couple of hours and hadn't moved position the whole time.

He got out of his chair and started to walk to the bathroom but spotted Clint sleeping against the wall.

Bruce really wasn't sure what to do. He walked up to Clint and kneeled down.

"Hey, Clint?" he whispered gently.

No response.

"Clint?" he said louder. He tapped his shoulder.

No response.

Bruce sighed and stood up. He thought for a moment on what to do. Should he bring him a sheet? No, he can't let him sleep on the floor.

Bruce bent down and hooked his right arm under Clint's knees and his left arm under Clint's back and shoulders. He lifted the officer up with ease and carried him to his own bedroom.

His upper body strength increased dramatically when the accident happened, so carrying the not-so-light Clint was no challenge at all.

Once he got into his room, he lay Clint on his bed and pulled a sheet over him.

He wondered how long Clint had been awake for.

Bruce looked around the room for anything he would be embarrassed about Clint seeing when he woke up. He found a pair of boxers on the floor which he grabbed when he saw them. Other than that, the room was fine. He left the room and closed the door quietly.

When Bruce came back from the bathroom, he sat back down on his chair. He looked at his notes in front of him and couldn't make any sense of them. He put his head on the table and closed his eyes.

He hadn't been able to sleep in days, but he felt as though he could go to sleep at that moment.

He closed his eyes and let his conscious mind fade away.

He felt safer, somehow.

* * *

A/N

The title is from the fourth Hitchhiker's book, 'So Long And Thanks For All The Fish'.

Reviews are very much welcome/encouraged. :D

Shall update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

_He was floating in the air, eyes closed, being carried by an unknown force._

_Arms. Strong arms. Don't let go... _

Bruce opened his eyes that morning staring at his bedroom ceiling. It was still very early so he closed his eyes again and curled up tighter on his bed, trapping the warmth.

Bruce's eyes opened again.

He looked around.

He was in his room, not his lab.

Odd.

He roused himself slowly and got out of bed. He still had his clothes on from the previous day, so he changed and then went to his lab.

It was just as isolated as usual.

Bruce sighed and walked over to his desk to try and finish some of his work but noticed a note next to his pen. He read it aloud to no one in particular:

"Sorry about that, Doc. It had been a long day.  
I tried to wake you but I couldn't, so I carried you to bed.  
Anyway, thanks for the scotch.  
- Clint."

He threw the note in the trash and continued with his work.

-o-

Clint awoke with a start, not knowing where he was. He shot up, looking around, analysing his surroundings.

_A bedroom._

He got up from the bed slowly and left the room.

His panic drifted away as he saw the snoring mass that was Bruce Banner, drooling over his work.

_I must have fallen asleep and he carried me to his bed._

Clint smiled. He walked over to Bruce to try and wake him.

No such luck.

Clint lifted Bruce bridal-style and started to walk back to the bedroom.

In his sleep, Bruce became a little restless and snuggled closer into Clint's chest like a child.

Clint looked down and smiled at how vulnerable Bruce looked. He slowed to a stop and his smile faded as he continued to look at Bruce.

Clint thought of how this man's life had been ruined because of his accident.

_You would never guess that this man has probably killed people because of the Other Guy._

_But then again, he isn't the Other Guy, he's Bruce Banner._

He looked sadly and Bruce then continued to the bedroom.

Clint laid him on his side where he himself was sleeping earlier and pulled the sheet over him.

He sat on the bed next to Bruce and felt a sudden pang of sadness go through him.

Clint sighed and tried to compose himself.

He stood up and went for the bedroom door but stopped half way.

Clint turned slowly and walked back over to the head of Bruce's bed and leaned over.

He placed his lips on Bruce's temple.

When Clint stood back up, he left the room quietly and left a note on Bruce's desk.

He went straight to his own quarters when he left to get a good night's sleep.

-o-

Bruce had been working for an hour or so when an officer came in.

"Meeting with Fury, ten minutes." he said. Then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

He sighed and got out of his chair and left.

"The Avengers Initiative." shouted Fury.

Everyone looked around at each other.

"That's why you're all here." he said. "You each have your own special talent or ability which makes you invaluable to S.H.I.E.L.D."

Clint was staring at Bruce from the other end of the room. He could see his jaws clenching.

"What if we don't want to be a part of this thing?" asked Steve.

"Holler." added Tony.

Steve looked at Tony as if he had just burped without excusing himself.

Fury sighed.

"Trust me, you will."

"So what's my special ability, huh?" said Bruce.

"You become a great green monster and do a good bit of smashing." said Tony, as if it were obvious.

"No," said Fury. "You're here for your extensive knowledge of gamma radiation."

"And because he becomes a great green monster who goes smash!" repeated Tony.

Bruce's breathing became heavier and more stressed.

Clint suddenly got up and walked over to Bruce.

"Barton, sit back down." demanded Fury.

"With all due respect, sir," said Clint. "Shut the fuck up."

"... What the hell did you-" Fury started.

"Shall I repeat it?" Clint asked innocently.

"C'mon, let's get some air." he whispered in Bruce's ear.

Bruce stood up, his whole body still tense.

Fury finally noticed this and took Clint's advice.

He put his hand on Bruce's shoulder and walked him out of the conference room.

Clint guided him through several corridors and doors, with Bruce still worked up and tense.

They finally reached their destination - Clint's quarters - and went inside.

They stood by the door and Clint stared at Bruce; he put his hands on his shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Clint asked quietly.

Bruce shook his head very slowly.

"Okay, right calm down, breathe." he said.

He rubbed Bruce's shoulders very gently. This helped Bruce a little.

Bruce's bottom lip started to quiver. Clint noticed and his heart sank.

He pulled Bruce into an embrace.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay." he whispered.

Bruce let silent tears fall onto Clint's shoulder. His shoulders were convulsing.

"I'm a man too, you know," he whispered between sobs. "I'm not a monster."

Clint hugged him tighter.

"I know."

_Arms..._ Bruce thought. _Strong arms..._

"Don't let go..." Bruce whispered.

"I won't."

* * *

A/N

Thanks for the positive reviews for Ch. 1. :D

Hope you enjoy.

Again, reviews are welcome/encouraged. :D


	3. Chapter 3

They both sat on the bed.

Clint listened to Bruce for what seemed like hours. Half of what he was saying was a quiet, incoherent babble, but Clint caught most of it.

He heard of Bruce's remorse of the lives he had taken.

"But that wasn't you, that was _him_." whispered Clint

"It would still be my fault though, for letting _him_ out." replied Bruce, just as quietly.

Every now and then, Clint would put his hand on Bruce's shoulder to reassure him.

He would sometimes even hug him if he started to break down again.

Years and years of pent up sadness, loneliness, and every other negative emotion Bruce has ever felt and kept bottled up was finally being released to the compassionate ears of Clint Barton.

As he hugged Bruce again, he could feel the man getting more relaxed. Clint hoped Bruce had finally gotten out everything he had to say.

As he pulled away, he noticed Bruce slumped as his arms released him.

He had fallen asleep.

Clint sighed and smiled wearily at him.

He laid Bruce on the bed to let him sleep.

As Clint let go of him and walked away, he started to shift in his sleep, as if he were in a nightmare.

Clint rushed back tried to relax him by rubbing his shoulders again.

This calmed Bruce down considerably.

As Clint released him, Bruce started to shift again.

"D-Don't let go..." whispered Bruce in his sleep.

Bruce was getting increasingly agitated. Clint thought of what to do.

He went to the other side of the bed and climbed on next to Bruce.

Clint put his arm around Bruce's shoulders and he calmed down immediately.

In his sleep, Bruce tilted his head and laid it on Clint's chest.

Clint looked down and stared sadly at the man.

He wasn't sure whether to be angry or glad about what Tony did.

On one hand, he nearly made Bruce release the Other Guy and kill more people which would hang even more guilt on Bruce's conscience.

But on the other hand, this must have benefited Bruce, finally letting out this part of him which he has kept guarded for who knows how long.

Clint decided he would think about it later, but for now, he'd sleep.

He tilted his head so he was leaning his cheek on top Bruce's head.

Bruce shifted in his sleep again.

He moved his hand and placed it on Clint's stomach.

Clint, who was just about to fall asleep, almost automatically moved his hand and placed it on top of Bruce's.

They both slept peacefully.

-o-

The meeting ended not long after Clint and Bruce stormed out.

Steve trained for the rest of the day, taking out some of his stress on the punching bags.

He finished, showered and made his way back to his quarters.

On the way, he passed Clint Barton's door.

He stopped and turned. He would ask Clint if Bruce was alright. Steve felt a little sorry for him.

When the door slipped open, Steve stepped inside.

"Agent Barton? Are you-" Steve stopped.

He saw Bruce and Clint lying on the bed together, in the same position as they had fallen asleep.

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it.

He stared at them for a few seconds, not knowing how to react.

He turned around and left the room quietly.

* * *

A/N

Sorry it's so short, but I hope you enjoy it. :)

As always, reviews are welcome/encouraged. :D


	4. Chapter 4

Bruce's eyes fluttered open.

That was the best sleep he'd had in a long time.

He was looking at the ceiling, it looks a little different from usual but he didn't care, he was still half asleep

_I'll have another hour_ he thought.

He closed his eyes and turned to lie on his side.

He was trying to remember the dream he was having when he felt something on his face.

_Air...warm air..._

_Breath?_

He opened his eyes dazedly and was met by the face of Clint Barton, sleeping contentedly.

Bruce started to remember the night before, all the things he'd told Clint.

He felt slightly embarrassed, but didn't regret telling the archer. He thought that he probably wouldn't have been able to stop himself anyway. He hardly even knows the man, but all his thoughts and feelings had been sealed away for so long...

Bruce thought he'd better get back to his room before S.H.I.E.L.D. wondered where the hell he was. In fact, he's surprised there wasn't a search party already looking for him because he never returned to his quarters.

As Bruce sat up, he realised he had something in his hand. He looked down to see what it was.

_Oh._

The object was Clint's hand. He was holding Clint's hand. He felt a little embarrassed at the idea of sleeping with a man he only started talking to a couple of days earlier, _whilst_ holding his hand.

He placed Clint's hand gently by his side and then got up.

There was a mirror next to the bed, Bruce walked over and looked at himself in it.

His eyes were slightly red and puffy from the night before, and his clothes looks scruffy because he'd slept in them. His hair was a mess too.

As he turned away from the mirror to leave, he saw Clint sitting up on the bed, looking at Bruce.

"Hey." he said gently.

"Hi." replied Bruce, his voice a little raspy. "Sorry about last night, I shouldn't have laid all that on you."

"No, it's fine, really. I'm always willing to help anyone who needs it." Clint replied.

There was an awkward silence for a while, which was eventually broken by Clint.

"Anyway, are you feeling any better?" he asked, with concern etched across his face.

"Much better than last night." replied Bruce. "Thank you."

"It's cool." Clint smiled at Bruce and got up.

"So how-" Clint was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" he called.

The door slid open and Steve walked in.

They both smiled at the man. Steve was a very friendly person, and everyone on the team got along with him.

He stared at the floor.

"Uh, Fury wants to see you, Clint." Steve said flatly. "You too, Bruce."

Clint noted Steve's odd behaviour.

"Okay, we'll be down in-'' Clint started.

"Can I speak to you outside, Clint?" Steve interrupted.

Clint just stared.

"Yeah, sure." They both left the room. Bruce stood in the room by himself like an abandoned puppy.

"What's up Steve?" asked Clint, he was worried in case something was wrong with him too.

"You do know romantic relationships between team mates can jeopardise the whole dynamic of the team?" stated Steve, firmly.

Clint just looked at him. His brain was still analysing what the man just said.

"But... but me and Natasha are strictly work colleagues and friends, we've never felt like that towards each other, and besides, I'm g-" Clint was interrupted by Steve again.

"I'm not talking about Natasha. Look, I know I'm from a different time, and a lot of things are different these days, but if you're seeing Bruce, then you must-" It was Clint's turn to interrupt Steve.

"Wait, what? I'm not going out with Bruce. I only started talking to him a few days ago. True, we've been pretty close, but his emotions have been going haywire lately – by the way, when I see Tony, he better run for his life – and I've been there to support him, it just seemed like the logical thing to do as he's my "team mate". Natasha and I have seen some scary shit in our time at S.H.I.E.L.D., sometimes I've seen her have a nervous breakdown in front on me, which I've had to help her with." Clint stopped for a moment. "I'm not going out with Bruce, why would you even think that anyway?"

Steve was stunned by Clint's speech.

"Well, I... I... I saw you two last night, I... I came to see if Bruce was all right, but... but you were, uh...," Steve stopped, his cheeks burning red, "snuggling." he finished, looking scandalised.

Clint's cheeks flushed red as he remembered the way he tried to calm Bruce down in his sleep.

"Well, he was being restless in his sleep, he wanted me close by so I thought I'd lie on the bed with him. And in his sleep he rolled and... snuggled into me. I couldn't exactly move him away, he'd finally become calm." Clint said, trying to convince Steve that what he was thinking was a simple misunderstanding.

Steve's cheeks were still bright red.

"Okay, well, just as long as we're clear that there should be no intimate relationships between team mates." Steve smiled slightly. "We cool dawg?"

Clint stared at the other man.

"Never say that ever again in your entire life." Clint deadpanned, but was smiling.

"But I read somewhere that it was cool... Anyway, you should get going, Fury isn't too happy."

"You do know that if you want to have a private conversation, you should actually _close_ the door?" said a voice behind them.

They both turned round to see the door indeed open and Bruce standing by it.

Clint felt rather embarrassed.

"You heard all of that?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Bruce "and thank you Clint for being there for me. You're a great friend... if I can call you that?" added Bruce.

"Of course." Clint smiled. Bruce smiled back.

"And I'm sorry for the, uh, snuggling."

"Don't worry, no harm done." Clint laughed. Steve looked out of place.

"So, uh, Fury?" he said, trying not to be a pain.

"Actually, I need to ask him something," said Clint, "Bruce, could you stay here, please?"

Bruce looked at him.

"But didn't he ask for the both of us?"

"Yeah, I know, but just trust me, okay?"

Bruce smiled.

"Okay... friend."

Clint grinned like an idiot and ran down the corridor.

Steve and Bruce stood in silence.

Bruce stared at Steve the whole time.

"Why don't you just tell him?" Bruce asked.

Steve just stared back.

"What do you mean? Tell him what?"

Bruce looked back and him and just shook his head. He walked back to the bed and sat down.

Steve stood by the door for a few more minutes then finally left.

-o-

"No, I simply won't allow it." stated Fury, almost shouting.

"C'mon sir, please, it will be good for him. I can assure you he'd be safer out there than in that cell." pleaded Clint.

"That makes absolutely no sense, Barton." said Fury, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"How does it not?" Clint asked, dumbfounded.

Fury looked at Clint as if he were losing the will to live.

"Because dumbass, a titanium structure which is a metre thick is much harder to break through than air." said Fury.

Clint grunted in anger.

"But if you look after the inside," said Clint, "there won't be any damage on the outside."

Fury closed his eyes and exhaled in frustration.

"Right, alright, go, do it, but I swear to whatever god is out there, if he Hulks out and kills someone, you'll be the one who is charged for first degree murder!" exclaimed Fury, finally giving up.

Clint just stared.

"You're actually letting me do this?" he said, sounding like an idiot.

Fury just looked at him.

"Why the fuck you question me after you just spent that last fifteen minutes trying to convince me? Just get out before I actually regain my sanity and realise I'm making a huge mistake." he said, busying himself with some papers.

Clint wore that idiotic grin again and ran out of the room, and Fury wondered where the god damned scotch was.

* * *

A/N

Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes in any of the chapters.

Hope you enjoy this update.

As always, reviews are welcome/appreciated! :D


	5. Chapter 5

"You did what?" asked Bruce, mouth hanging open.

"I asked Fury if he could give you clearance to leave the building." Clint answered with a smile.

"And he said yes?" Bruce couldn't believe Clint had done that.

"Well of course, Fury trusts me." he replied with a satisfied grin.

Bruce just stared at him.

"Why did you ask him?"

"Well we can't have you cooped up in here all the time can we? Plus I think we should go out and hang out some time, we could even invite Steve or Tasha too if you want. I want to get to know you more, not just the side I learned yesterday, but the real you. And you can learn stuff about me, since we're friends and everything." said Clint, still grinning

Bruce nodded, his face blank. Clint continued to grin, thinking that the information still hadn't fully hit his friend.

Bruce suddenly walked out the room.

Clint's grin dropped. He stood alone.

_What the hell happened there?_

He walked over and looked out of the door. Bruce was gone.

Clint went to Bruce's quarters to see if he was mulling over the news, but he wasn't there. He went to the meeting area, he wasn't there either.

Clint searched all the places he thought Bruce would be but couldn't find him.

He walked by Bruce's quarters again but noticed the door was closed. It was open when Clint was last there.

Clint pressed the button to open the door, and the display said it was locked.

He searched his pockets for his S.H.I.E.L.D. I.D. card, and swiped it on the reader. He has clearance to enter every room in the building. A message popped up:

_Access Denied_

He stared at it. He swiped the card again.

_Access Denied_

_Something must be wrong with the card_ he thought.

He went to Fury's office to check what was wrong with the card.

-o-

"Nothing at all." said Fury whilst signing various bits of paper.

"Well of course something's wrong with it; I couldn't enter Banner's quarters." Clint stated.

Fury looked up at him as if he were an idiot.

"That's because you don't have clearance to go into Banner's quarters."

Clint just looked at him.

"Well then how the hell am I going to take him into the city?"

"You're not."

Clint eyes widened.

"But you gave him clearance!" he shouted.

Fury stared back, waiting for Clint to calm down. When he did, he replied.

"Well, I had a pretty distraught Banner come in here not too long ago, asking me to revoke that permission and to block you from entering his quarters." said Fury, nonchalantly.

Clint stared at Fury. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. He opened it again, but then closed it again.

He turned and ran out of the room.

Fury just shook his head and went back to his papers.

-o-

"Bruce!" Clint yelled as he was banging on the door to Bruce's lab/quarters. "Bruce!"

Nothing.

He tried for nearly half an hour, but there was no response.

He laid his forehead against the metal door and sighed. He then went back to his own quarters.

_-o-_

In Bruce's lab, all was quiet.

In Bruce's bedroom, all was less than quiet.

Smash. Bang. Crash.

Bruce screamed.

He threw another picture frame. He pushed over his chest of drawers and then threw his lamp.

He screamed again, it was a more pained scream.

He kicked his wardrobe, leaving a foot-shaped hole in its door.

He sat down on his bed, his head in his hands, and tried to calm down.

Why had Clint been so stupid to allow him to leave the facility?

Bruce had gone straight to Fury's office after Clint had told him.

He knew Clint would be wondering why he did it, so he asked Fury to block off his quarters to him, which he agreed to.

He had gone back, locked the door and tried to distract himself with some of his work. This was mildly successful.

Then he heard Clint's cries at the door.

He sat at his desk and tried to drown out the noise of the banging by covering his ears.

Clint had eventually stopped and Bruce tried to continue.

After a while, he realised he just couldn't concentrate and went to his bedroom.

He had just stood around thinking for a while. Thinking about how much Clint put on the line for him...

Then he had realised how much of an idiot he was. Clint had done all that for him, and he just threw it all back in his face.

Then he started throwing and breaking things; and this is where he was now.

As he was sitting on his bed, he heard the door to his quarters open.

He got up and went to his lab.

An officer was standing just inside of the door.

"Meeting with Fury, ten minutes."

And then he was gone again.

_Lovely._

-o-

Bruce could feel Clint's eyes on him the moment he entered the meeting room, well, he could actually feel everyone's eyes on him because of the last meeting.

He walked over to sit next to the one called Thor who seemed nice enough.

As he sat down, the blonde man gave him a genuinely warm smile and a pat on the shoulder which Bruce thought may have left a bruise.

Fury stood up and all eyes were on him. All except Clint's.

"Before we start, I think one of has some explaining to do, you know who you are." Fury said, waiting for a response.

_Öh god, oh god, is Clint gonna say something?_

Tony stood up.

Bruce noticed and sighed, slightly relieved.

He faced Bruce.

"I, um, I just want to say," he paused, and gave Fury an annoyed look. He looked back at Bruce. "That I'm sorry."

He sat down and looked like a bored child.

Bruce was about to respond when Fury continued.

"Okay, today's meeting is going to be a little different." Fury gave a rare smile, but it looked rather sly, as if it were hiding something.

"If this initiative is gonna work, we're actually going to have to talk to each other. So today we're gonna be doing some team-building exercises, so to speak."

There were moans and whines coming from all of the Avengers.

"Right, everyone stand up."

Eventually, after much protesting and annoyed mutterings, everyone stood up.

Fury pressed a button on the console next to him, and the table and all the chairs folded up. A small gap in the floor opened up and the furniture descended.

They were eventually left in an empty room, all of them standing around awkwardly, especially Bruce.

"Now," Fury started to walk forward. "Everyone, get in a line, in alphabetical order."

Everyone looked at each other, no one moved.

"Now!" Fury shouted. "And using your second names."

Thor looked confused.

"You can use your first name." Fury added.

Slowly but surely, people were asking each other for their second names and forming some kind of line.

Bruce was dreading every second of this, remembering Clint's surname was Barton, which came right after Banner.

They were all in line. Banner, Barton, Rogers, Romanoff, Stark, and Thor.

Bruce was staring straight ahead, feeling Clint's eyes burning holes in the side of his head.

Fury piped up again.

"Good, now for a circle from this line. Thor, Banner, move next to each other."

The line bent as they formed into a circle.

"Right, now, take your right hand and join hands with the person in front of you."

Bruce was across from Agent Romanoff. He reached his hand over and joined hands with her. It was softer than Bruce imagined.

Everyone's right hands were joined with someone's at the centre of the circle.

"Okay," Fury started again. "Now take your left hand, and join it with any other hand that's free."

Everybody found hands to join with. Tony joined with Agent Romanoff and Steve joined with Thor.

This left Bruce with only one hand to join with.

_Damn._

He joined hands with Clint and looked anywhere bar his direction.

Fury continued.

"Here's the interesting bit." He looked like a villain whose ultra-evil plan was nearly complete. "Try and get back into a circle, without letting go of each other's hands.

There was a lot of complaining and a lot of jumping over each other's arms, but it was impossible, everyone was too tangled.

"Oh fuck this." shouted Clint and let go of Tony's hand. He held on to Bruce's as he was walking out, pulling him away from the others and letting go of Natasha's hand.

Fury just watched them as they left, knowing they had to talk. Everyone else looked at Fury who just looked back at them.

"Did I say you could stop? Stark, Romanoff, you two join hands."

-o-

"What the actual fuck?" Clint shouted once they were both in his quarters.

Bruce just stared at the floor, wishing he were somewhere else.

Clint paced back and forth, trying to figure things out.

"I'm sorry." whispered Bruce.

Clint stopped and turned to face Bruce. He was about to shout at him again, but then he saw the look on Bruce's face. Clint's anger disappeared and he sighed.

"Why did you revoke your own clearance to leave the building?" asked Clint, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

"You can't let me out, you don't know what I'll do." replied Bruce, still staring at the floor.

"You don't even trust yourself," said Clint. "You can control it, Bruce, I know you can."

"But there's always a chance."

"You were fine in Calcutta."

"But that's different, it wasn't that highly populated, and there were areas of forest where I could go if... well you know the details. "

Clint gave Bruce a sympathetic look. He placed his hands on Bruce's shoulders. He looked up at Clint. They were face to face.

"I trust you, Bruce. I know you won't be a danger to all of those people," whispered Clint. " If anything, being out there enjoying yourself will make you less of a danger. We'll just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Bruce nodded.

They both stood, staring at each other. Bruce was giving Clint an odd look, he couldn't quite place it. Which is rare for the agent, he can usually read people like books.

Bruce looked at the floor again and then back to Clint.

"When you were talking to Steve, you were saying why you weren't going out with Natasha. You were going to say something but he cut you off. What were you going to say?" breathed Bruce.

Clint was a little surprised by the change of subject, but answered nonetheless.

"I was going to say that I was gay."

"Good."

Bruce moved his head forward and caught Clint's lips with his own. Clint gasped but didn't move away.

He moved one of his hands and placed it behind Bruce's head, deepening the kiss.

They both moaned.

Clint pulled back and Bruce looked worried.

"Are you sure you want this?" he whispered, his voice a little raspy.

"Yes." replied Bruce.

Their lips crashed together again.

* * *

A/N

Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoy!

As always, reviews are appreciated. :D


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce's eyes fluttered open.

That was the best sleep he'd had in a long time.

He was looking at the ceiling, it looked a little different from usual but he didn't care, he was still half asleep.

_Wait a moment_, Bruce thought. _This is oddly familiar... as is that ceiling._

He was about to turn his head when he realised someone was nuzzling into his neck.

_Clint._

Both of them were lying on Clint's bed, fully clothed, with Clint holding onto Bruce like a cuddly toy.

He stayed there, feeling Clint's breath tickle his neck.

They had spent hours talking and kissing. Bruce can't actually remember when they fell asleep.

Clint talked about his childhood mostly, and how he ended up working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Bruce just talked about his scientific research, which bored Clint a little but he didn't show it.

He asked what Bruce liked to do in his free time, in which Bruce replied with "work".

They laughed and kissed some more, and then they must have fallen asleep.

Bruce chuckled under his breath at the thought; they were like teenagers.

The slight movement caused Clint to shift a little. He hugged Bruce tighter and kissed Bruce's neck tenderly. Bruce sighed.

"Mornin'." whispered Bruce.

"'Sup, sexy?" Clint replied, muffled by Bruce's neck.

Bruce snorted and went slightly red at the noise he just made.

Clint smiled and moved so that he was in the same position as Bruce.

They both stared at the ceiling.

"Do you think they untangled themselves?" asked Clint.

Bruce's brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Yesterday, with Fury, do you think they untangled their arms?"

"Oh." said Bruce. "Probably not."

Clint giggled. A manly giggle, obviously.

Bruce turned his head and just stared at Clint.

Clint turned his head and just stared at Bruce.

"Can we kiss again?" asked Clint.

Bruce grinned.

He slid closer to Clint.

"Of course."

Their lips met again. It was a tender kiss. Slow and sensual.

_Vrrrrrrrm. _The door slid open.

"Hey Clint, I brought you some-"

Steve stood at the door, carrying a tray with a couple of cups on it and wearing a shocked expression on his face.

Bruce and Clint pulled away from each other as they heard Steve.

Steve just stared at them for a while, his cheeks a fiery red. Bruce wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

He turned swiftly and walked away. The door closed automatically.

Bruce sighed.

"You should go and talk to him."

Clint looked confused.

"Why me? You go." he replied smirking, going in for another kiss.

"Trust me, you should talk to him." said Bruce.

Clint looked at him a little longer then sighed.

"Oh, alright."

Clint jumped up out of the bed and winked at Bruce.

"I'll be right back."

-o-

_Knock, knock, knock._

Clint stood at Steve's door.

He pressed the button and the door slid open.

The first thing Clint registered was the pain in his jaw.

_Where did that come from?_

That was when he realised he'd just been punched in the face.

"Oh my god, Clint!" Steve shouted, leaning down.

"God damn, why did you punch me?" replied Clint, hissing at the pain all over his lower face.

"I-I thought you were someone else..." stammered Steve, helping Clint to his feet.

"Damn, you must hate whoever you thought it was." Clint rubbed his chin slowly, wincing.

"Please, take a seat on the sofa and I'll get you some ice."

Steve ran to the kitchen area of his quarters whilst Clint sat down.

He came rushing back with an ice pack.

Clint took it gratefully and placed it softly to his face, but hissed at the contact.

"Here." said Steve, who took the pack from Clint and applied it to Clint's face a little softer.

"Thanks..." said Clint, feeling a little awkward.

Steve put the ice pack down and moved his head closer to Clint's to examine the bruises on his chin more clearly.

He could feel Clint's breath on his face.

Clint closed his eyes from the pain. He felt breath on his lips.

Just before he opened his eyes, Steve's lips were on his own.

Clint's reaction was instantaneous.

His fist came up, half-punching and half-pushing Steve's face away. He stood up and ran away from the sofa. Steve stayed on the sofa, looking at the floor, his hand rubbing where Clint had struck him.

"WHAT THE HELL, STEVE?" Clint shouted.

Steve stayed silent, still staring at the floor.

Clint just stared at him for a while, his chest heaving with anger.

His eyes widened when something clicked in his mind.

"You thought I was Bruce when you punched me!"

Silence.

Clint walked away slowly, and then ran out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

"Jealously can be a powerful thing." sighed Bruce as he was examining Clint's jaw.

"Did you know that he... well, y'know?" said Clint, hissing a little as Bruce lightly touched the bruised area.

"I wasn't entirely sure until I saw his face when he seen us together,' replied Bruce. "You should be fine; I don't think anything's broken."

They were both in Bruce's lab, sitting on one of the benches.

Bruce kissed Clint's forehead and went over to the kitchen area to make something to eat.

He made an assortment of breakfast foods: scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and various other things Clint loved.

As Bruce was cooking, Clint just stared at him.

Clint eyebrows were furrowed as he thought about something.

Bruce looked over at him and smiled; he smiled back.

When Bruce finished, he called Clint over and they both started eating.

Half way through their meal, Clint stopped eating and stared at Bruce again.

Bruce noticed and stopped too.

"Clint?"

Clint was silent for a moment.

"Do you want to leave?" asked Clint.

Bruce just looked at him.

"What do you mean? Leave where?"

"This place, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, everything." Clint said, looking completely serious.

Bruce's eyes widened a little.

"Wait, what? How can you-, I mean what do you even-" Bruce was interrupted by Clint.

"Just give me a simple answer; yes or no."

Bruce looked frustrated.

"Well yeah, obviously, but I'm too dangerous, I won't be-" Bruce stopped speaking as Clint stood up and walked to the door.

He opened it and peered outside then looked back at Bruce.

"Start packing, but only one suitcase. Just pack what you absolutely need."

"But... but..." Bruce stammered, but Clint had already left.

He looked at all the food left on the table and sighed. He had caught the look of sheer determination on Clint's face, so he went to his bedroom and started to pack.

-o-

Clint was in his room with his mobile phone between his ear and shoulder while packing his suitcase.

"Do you think you could do it?"

He had two shirts in each hand; looking at them both to decide which one to take. One was blue and the other purple.

"Great. Do you know when you'll be there?"

He packed the purple one.

"That's fine. No, he won't be a problem, he's just a little nervous. I'll need the cloak though."

He jogged into the bathroom and gathered all his toiletries and jogged back into his bedroom.

"I just need to get away from all this, as does he. Fury won't be a problem if we do this properly."

He packed a small box containing important papers and then moved towards his wardrobe to get some extra guns.

"Do you have the passports? What are the names? ... Oh boy, well, they'll do."

He packed a couple of his hand guns then zipped up his case. He took it and walked towards the door.

"So when do-... I'll call you back in 2 minutes." Clint hung up. Steve was standing at the door.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what..." started Steve. He looked at Clint's case and then back at Clint. "Where are you going?

"Out." said Clint, his face blank.

"Where?" Steve looked concerned.

"Out." Clint repeated. "What do you want?"

"I just came to say that I'm sorry." said Steve, looking apologetic.

"Okay." Clint said, still showing no emotion. "Now if you don't mind, I need to go."

"Oh, okay." Steve walked away from the door frame to let Clint through.

Once Clint had passed, he closed the door, locked it, and blocked anyone from opening it.

He turned to see Steve standing next to him, looking at him sadly.

Clint turned and walked down the hall.

Steve wiped his eye as a tear was about to escape. He turned and walked in the other direction.

-o-

Clint walked outside of the building, and spotted a man next to the road 'waiting on a car'.

He walked over to him and gave him his suitcase. In return, the man gave him a black device that looked like a watch.

He nodded and walked back into the facility.

-o-

Bruce was sitting on his chair in his lab with his packed suitcase on the floor next to him when Clint walked back in.

He smiled at Bruce.

"You ready?" asked Clint, slightly out of breath, but sounding excited.

"Clint, will you tell me what's going on?" asked Bruce, still confused.

Clint grinned.

"We're leaving."

* * *

A/N

I wonder what Clint's doing? :D

Again, sorry for the long wait!

Reviews are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Bruce began to protest but Clint put his hands up to hush him.

"Bruce, I trust you. You can control it." Clint walked over to him. "Stand up."

When Bruce stood up, Clint hugged him tightly. "You can do it." he whispered into his neck.

Clint pulled away and looked at Bruce. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly agreed. Clint literally jumped with joy.

When he calmed down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the black watch-like device.

"Okay, you'll need to put this on." he said, taking Bruce's hand and attaching it around his wrist.

"What is it?"

"It's a Cloak. It basically makes you invisible to any sensors which try to determine your identity. Obviously you don't have clearance so if the sensors picked you up, there'd be agents on us within 10 seconds."

"Ah." replied Bruce. "What about you, though?"

"Well I, as a matter of fact, am a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agent so I have clearance to go out the front door, you know." said Clint with a pompous look on his face.

Bruce chuckled and punched him on the shoulder.

"Right, grab your case and let's go."

-o-

"Just keep moving, just keep moving." whispered Clint, barely moving his lips.

This was it.

The front entrance was right at the end of the corridor, but there were agents and different members of personnel everywhere. They had to keep their cool. If one of the agents noticed them and asked Clint for proof that Bruce had clearance, they would be done for.

They had already passed all of the digital security, with help from the Cloak.

But this was where the danger was.

"Keep a steady pace. Act as though you're allowed to come through here." Clint added.

Clint nodded at various people in greeting.

His heart skipped a beat as one of the agents he frequently worked with came up to him.

_We're fucked_ he thought.

"Hey Clint." said the Agent.

"Hey there Tom, I'm sorry about this, but I need to go." replied Clint, not stopping.

"Ahh, I see Banner finally got clearance. You have Fury under the thumb! Oh well, see you later!" Tom walked away and disappeared in the crowd.

Clint wiped the sweat off his brow.

_Close one._

_Nearly there..._

They were a few feet from the entrance when they heard a shout.

"Hey, where are you going? Banner doesn't have clearance!" said a voice in the crowd.

Clint looked around for a second, nothing was happening.

"RUN!" he shouted.

He grabbed Bruce's hand and they both ran out of the double doors as nearly a dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents began to chase them.

The car was already waiting for them with the door open.

When they reached it, Clint pushed Bruce in, case and all, and then jump in himself, his own case landing on Bruce.

"DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!" he screamed at the driver.

Off they went, speeding away from various agents just watching them as they went, obviously not being able to run fast enough.

Clint moved and closed the car door so they wouldn't fall out.

They both sat there panting, their cases on the floor.

As the building went out of view, Bruce started to chuckle.

Clint looked over, with a puzzled expression on his face.

Bruce's giggling turned into full blown hysterical laughter.

"That's the most fun I've had in years." he wheezed between laughs.

Clint smiled and started to laugh with him.

They were like this until they arrived at the airport.

-o-

They got out next to a small private jet.

Bruce just stared at it as Clint walked over to the man standing next to the stairs.

He shook hands with the man.

"I appreciate this, Stark," he said smiling. "And I think he does too." he added, nodding towards Bruce.

"It's nothing, really." said Tony, brushing away the appreciation with his hand.

He handed Clint a brief case. "Everything should be in there."

Clint nodded and went back to Bruce.

"C'mon, let's go."

Bruce walked with Clint as he spotted Tony.

He stopped and looked at the man.

"So you're the one doing this for us?" he asked, his tone a little resentful.

Tony nodded.

"I really am sorry for what I said."

Bruce studied him for a few seconds before putting his hand out. Tony took it and they shook hands.

"Thank you." finished Bruce.

"You better hurry up or they'll be here soon."

He let go of his hand and went over to Clint.

"This is it." said Clint.

They both climbed the stairs into the plane. They turned back to wave to Tony before going in.

The interior reminded Clint of the interior of Tony's apartment in his tower. All glass and leather.

There were only two seats in the whole compartment so they packed away their suitcases and sat down.

"We're moving to England." Clint said suddenly.

Bruce just stared at him.

"What?"

"London." Clint replied excitedly.

"Moving?" Bruce asked.

"Yup!"

Clint pulled the briefcase that Tony gave him onto the table and opened it.

The plane started to move and take off while Clint was doing this.

He pulled out what looked like a passport and handed it to Bruce.

He flicked through it until he saw that it was a passport with his picture in it.

"It's your new identity." Clint added.

Bruce looked at it.

"Bruce... Farrow? My name is now Bruce Farrow?"

"Yes it is," Clint said, smiling. "And in this case is all of the legal documents we need and the address of our new house." Clint added.

"... Our?" Bruce asked.

"Well, uh, ours, if you want..." Clint trailed off.

Bruce looked at him.

"Of course."

He moved and kissed Clint.

"So what's your new name?" he asked.

Clint blushed a little.

"Umm, Clint." he whispered.

"Yes?"

"Clint Farrow." he finished.

_Oh._

Bruce stared at him for a while and then started smiling.

Clint smiled back at him.

Bruce laughed and put his arm around Clint's shoulders.

"So, how does it feel to be living with a freak like me?" he asked smirking.

"You're not a freak," Clint replied. "You're just unusual. Very very unusual."

* * *

A/N

Well, that's it!

I hope you enjoyed this story!

If I get enough reviews, I might write a sequel.

Thanks for reading!


	9. Epilogue

_One month later_

-o-

Clint was concentrating.

Time was of the essence.

His brain was trying to make an important decision.

This was it, now or never.

"Can I have a cappuccino and a chocolate frappuccino please?"

"Of course, sir."

Life had been pretty relaxed for Clint in the past month. It wasn't something he was used to.

He had settled into his new home relatively quickly due to Stark having already gotten the house furbished in a way Clint liked it.

As he waited at the counter, he turned to look around the coffee shop. There were various people sitting around chatting.

When he saw Bruce, he smiled.

The man sat awkwardly, not sure whether to cross his legs or not. He fidgeted around, looking nervous and eventually settling down and looking at one of the posters on the wall.

Clint snorted and looked around, embarrassed.

"Your drinks, sir." said the girl who was serving him, smirking a little.

"Uh, thanks." replied a slightly red-faced Clint. He paid and started to walk back to the table with the drinks.

They were both pretty comfortable in terms of money.

All the money Clint could ever need was in his bank account. Being a highly trained assassin had its perks.

Tony had a job opportunity for Bruce at the U.K. branch of Stark Industries, which he gladly accepted. He had access to the latest gadgets and gizmos and could do whatever he wanted, plus he got paid for it.

As he approached the table, Bruce's head turned and spotted him. His body instantly relaxed.

"You wanted a cappuccino, didn't you?" asked Clint, passing the cup to Bruce.

"Of course," said Bruce, smiling. "What did you get this time?"

"Chocolate frappuccino." replied Clint, grinning.

Bruce sighed.

"I don't know how you can drink something as sugary as that." said Bruce with a look of mock disgust on his face.

"Like this!" Clint proceeded to take a large slurp of his cold drink. "AHH, BRAIN-FREEZE!"

He put down his drink and rubbed his head with both his hands.

Bruce laughed loudly, not caring that others were staring at them.

-o-

It was a warm summer's evening and they were both walking through Hyde Park holding hands.

They didn't care about the odd stare that they got here and there.

As they came to a park bench, they both sat down and watched the people go by.

"Y'know," Clint started. "it was a month ago today that we arrived here."

Bruce chuckled.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" he replied, still watching the passersby. "Feels like forever."

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the evening air.

"Right come on, home-time." said Clint, patting Bruce's thigh and standing up.

Bruce didn't stand up, but just stared at Clint, mesmerised.

He was mesmerised by the way the light of the sunset was hitting Clint's face.

"You're stunning, do you know that?" whispered Bruce.

Clint's face flushed a little.

"Of course I know that. I'm fucking gorgeous." he replied with a smirk.

Bruce laughed and stood up. He wraps his arms around Clint's waist and Clint did the same to him. They then kissed.

"No, but you really are."

"And I'm all yours." growled Clint, who bit Bruce's earlobe.

"Ow, that hurt!"

Clint laughed evilly and let go of Bruce.

He started to run away.

"You'll never catch me!" he shouted back to Bruce and then started to laugh.

"Why, you little..." Bruce started before running after him and laughing too.

_THE END_


End file.
